In case you can't tell, I am seriously pondering all this "Spirit" stuff. So, I did a search, including; of the Spirit, through the Spirit, with the Spirit, and some others I can't remember right now and guess where I hit the jackpot? In the Spirit. A lot of cool stuff seemed to happen when someone was "in the Spirit". In the beginning of his Revelation John said, "On the Lord's Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet... " John was whisked all around his Revelation "in the Spirit".
That makes me think of a different translation of Gal 5:25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. It almost makes me wonder ~ if the Spirit inside of us, is lined up with whatever God is doing through His Spirit on earth, do we get to experience real God stuff? Does that make any sense? Kind of like the whole "Experiencing God" thing. If we are focused on Jesus and are seeking Him and trying to keep in step with what He is doing, we will be running strong, in the Spirit.
If we are living a little bit for God and mostly for ourselves, is that what keeps us from experiencing His power? Because we are not "keeping in step with Him". I think He will still save us, if we ask Him to, but will we miss out on doing His work here on this earth?
5 comments:
To me your line of questioning raises a further one: are we here to participate in some meaningful way in God's creation or did Jesus as the Christ do all the work for us - so that the good we do is pretty much just for scoring points to get our heavenly reward, so to speak?
Hi Paul,
I strongly believe we are to participate in something meaningful. God has partnered with His people all throughout the Old Testament and the New to accomplish His agenda on Earth. I don't believe He HAS to, I think He wants to.
It is His work on the Cross that saves us and it should be our joy and priviledge to serve Him now. Not for the reward, but because we want to be part of His works. Not ours.
Eph 2:8-10 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Life would be way too boring if there was nothing left to do after we were saved.
Does that make any sense? Thank you for your comment, I love discussing this kind of stuff. :)
this is such a beautiful incentive to obedience, tawny!
tawny -
i've read this post a couple of times today, thinking on it...
well, well said...
i remember studying the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts a few years ago and it was like this whole new world with God opened up - i never understood WHO the Spirit was or His purpose before....
that's what this made me think of..
love
jess
Thank you, Cathi and Jess for your sweet words. I need them today....
Post a Comment